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Phineas Fletcher
Rev. Phineas Fletcher (baptized 8 April 1582 - 1650) was an English poet. Life Overview Fletcher was the elder son of Giles Fletcher the elder (himself a minor poet, and Envoy to Russia) and the brother of Giles Fletcher the younger. He was a cousin of They were cousins of John Fletcher, the dramatist. Phineas was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and entered the Church, becoming Rector of Hilgay, Norfolk. He wrote The Purple Island (1633), a poem in 10 books, giving an elaborate allegorical description of the body and mind of man, which, though tedious and fanciful, contains some fine passages, recalling the harmonious sweetness of Spenser, whose disciple the poet was. He was also the author of Piscatory Dialogues. Both brothers, but especially Giles, had a genuine poetic gift, but alike in the allegorical treatment of their subjects and the metre they adopted, they followed a style which was passing away, and thus missed popularity.John William Cousin, "Fletcher, Giles, and Phineas," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, 1910, 141. Web, Jan. 12, 2018. Family, youth, education Fletcher was the elder son of Giles Fletcher, LL.D. , by his wife, Joan (Sheafe), and was baptixed at his birthplace, Cranbrook, Kent, of which his grandfather, Richard Fletcher, was rector, on 8 April 1582.Lee, 316. Like his father, he was educated at Eton, and on 24 Aug. 1600 was elected a scholar of King's College, Cambridge, becoming a fellow in 1603, and earning a B.A. in 1604, an M.A. in 1608,Phineas Fletcher (1582-1650) English Poetry, 1579-1830, Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Istitute & State University. June 21, 2016. and afterwards a B.D. He contributed English verse to the university collections in 1603; and acquired the reputation of a poet among his Cambridge friends. In 1614 he wrote a pastoral play, Sicelides, to be acted before James I on his visit to Cambridge, but the royal party left the university before it was ready, and the piece was performed later at King's College. Fletcher remained at King's College till midsummer 1616. In his Piscatory Eclogues, where he writes of himself under the name of Thyrsil, he asserts that he left the university— "ungrateful Chame," he calls it — in resentment for some slight cast upon him by the authorities: :Not I my Chame, but me proud Chame refuses, :His froward spites my strong affections sever; :Else from his banks could I have parted never. Career For the next 5 years Sir Henry Willoughby seems to have entertained Fletcher as his chaplain at Risley, Derbyshire. In 1621 Willoughby presented the poet to the rectory of Hilgay, Norfolk, where he lived for the rest of his life. Soon after settling at Hilgay he married Elizabeth (Vincent). In 1627 the publication of his Locustæ, an attack on Roman catholicism, seems to have involved him in a quarrel with some neighbors. His friends included Edward Benlowes, his junior by more than 20 years, and Benlowes introduced him to Francis Quarles. In Quarles's Emblems (1635), bk. v. No. vi., a globe representing the world is inscribed with the name of 4 places, one of them being Hilgay. Fletcher died at the close of 1650. His will, dated 21 June 1649, was proved by his widow, the sole executrix, 13 December 1650. Mention is made there of 2 sons, Phineas and William, and 4 daughters, Ann, Elizabeth, Frances, and Sarah. Writing ''The Purple Island'' Fletcher's chief volume, The Purple Island; or, The isle of man, together with Piscatorie Eclogs, and other poeticall miscellanies by P.F., was printed by the printers to the university of Cambridge in 1633. The dedication to Benlowes is dated "Hilgay, 1 May 1633." There Fletcher describes the poems that follow as "these raw essayes of my very unripe yeares, and almost childehood," and says that Benlowes insisted on their publication. A commendatory preface by Daniel Featley, D.D., is succeeded by eulogistic verses by E. Benlowes, his brother William, Francis Quarles (2 poems), Lodowick Roberts, and A.C., who has been identified with Cowley. The Purple Island, in 12 cantos of 7-line stanzas, is an elaborate allegorical description of the human body and of the vices and virtues to which man is subject. There are many anatomical notes in prose. The body is represented as an island, of which the bones stand for the foundations, the veins for brooks, and so forth in minute detail. Fletcher imitates the Faery Queene.’ Quarles calls him "the Spencer of this age," and Fletcher eulogises his master in canto vi. stanzas 51–2. But Fletcher's allegory is overloaded with detail, and as a whole is clumsy and intricate. His diction is, however, singularly rich, and his versification melodious. Incidental descriptions of rural scenes with which he was well acquainted are charmingly simple, and there is a majesty in his personifications of some vices and virtues which suggest John Milton, who knew Fletcher's works well.Lee, 317. The Piscatory Eclogs have a separate title-page. The 7 eclogs contain much autobiographical matter, but the names of the author's friends are disguised. Thelgon is the poet's father, Thyrsil himself, and Thomalin is John Tomkins. The Miscellanies include epithalamia in honour of the author's cousins, "Mr. W." and "M.R." (perhaps Walter and Margaret Robarts) of Brenchley, and poems addressed to Cambridge friends, the initials of whose names alone are given, together with metrical versions of the psalms. Members of the Courthope family are believed to be intended by "W.C." and "E.C." Cole suggested that "E.C., my son by the university," was one Ezekiel Charke. A 3rd title-page introduces another poem, Elisa: An elegie upon the unripe demise of Sr Antonie Irby. The lady had died in 1625, and at the time that the elegy was published the husband was on the point of marrying again. A poem by Quarles closes the volume. In the British Museum is the presentation copy given by Fletcher to Benlowes. The Piscatory Eclogs was edited separately by Lord Woodhouselee in 1771. The Purple Island was reissued separately in 1784 and 1816; the latter edited by Headley. Miscellaneous Fletcher's other works are: 1. ‘Locustæ vel Pietas Jesuitica. The Locusts or Apollyonists,’ Cambridge, Thomas & John Bucke, 1627. The first part in Latin verse is dedicated to Sir Roger Townshend, the patron of Phineas's brother Giles, and has commendatory verse by S. Collins. The second part in English verse, in five cantos of nine-line stanzas, is dedicated to Lady Townshend, and has prefatory verse by H. M., perhaps Henry More. Two manuscript copies of the Latin part are in the British Museum. One Harl. MS., 3196, is dedicated in Latin prose to Thomas Murray, provost of Eton (d. 1625), and in Latin verse to Prince Charles. The second manuscript (Sloane MS. 444) is dedicated to Montague, bishop of Bath and Wells. The poem is a sustained attack on Roman catholicism, and the English version suggested many phrases to Milton. 2. ‘Sicelides, or Piscatory, as it hath been acted in King's Colledge in Cambridge,’ London, 1631. The piece is in five acts, partly in blank, and partly in rhymed verse. Songs are interspersed, and there are comic scenes in prose. 3. ‘The Way to Blessedness; a treatise … on the First Psalm,’ with the text, London, 1632 (prose). 4. ‘Joy in Tribulation; a Consolation for afflicted Spirits,’ London, 1632 (prose). 5. ‘Sylva Poetica Auctore P. F.,’ Cambridge, 1633; a collection of Latin poems and eclogues; dedicated to Edward Benlowes. 6. ‘A Father's Testament, written long since for the benefit of a particular relation of the Author,’ London, 1670 (prose, with some verse, chiefly translations from Boethius). Fletcher also edited a previously unpublished Latin poem by his father, entitled ‘De Literis Antiquæ Britanniæ,’ Cambridge, 1633. He contributed verses to ‘Sorrowe's Joy,’ Cambridge, 1603 (a collection of Cambridge poems in English on the death of Elizabeth and accession of James I); to ‘Threno-Thriambeuticon,’ Cambridge, 1603 (a similar collection in Latin); to his brother Giles's ‘Christ's Victory,’ 1610; and to his friend Benlowes's ‘Theophila,’ 1632. Alexander Balloch Grosart has credited Fletcher with the authorship of a love-poem of considerable beauty, and somewhat lascivious tone, entitled Brittain's Ida, an account of the loves of Venus and Anchises. This poem was first issued in 1627, and was described as by Spenser. It is clear that Spenser was not the author. There is much internal resemblance between Fletcher's other works and Brittain's Ida, and no other name has been put forward to claim the latter poem. But no more positive statement is possible. Recognition A 4-volume complete edition of Fltchr's works was privately printed by Grosart in the Fuller Worthies Library, 1869. His poem "A Litany" was included in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900."A Litany", Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch). Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919). Bartleby.com, Web, May 5, 2012. Publications Poetry *''Locustae: Vel pietas Jesuitica''. Cambridge, UK: Thom. & Iohn Bucke, 1627. *''Brittain's Ida''. London: Nicholas Okes, for Thomas Walkley, 1628. *''The Purple Island: A poem; together with Piscatory eclogues, an other poetrical miscellanies''. Cambridge, UK: Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel. for the Universitie of Cambridge, 1633. **''The Purple Island; or, The isle of man: An allegorical poem'' (with Christ's Victory and Triumph by Giles Fletcher). London: Frys & Couchman, for J. Buckland / T. Wilkie / J. Matthews, 1783 *''The Purple Island: A poem'' (edited by Henry Headley). London: Burton & Briggs, 1816. *''Sylva Poetica''. Cambridge, UK: 1633. *''A Father's Testament''. London: R. White, for Henry Mortlock, 1670. *''Piscatory Eclogues, with other poetical miscellanies. Edinburgh : Printed for A. Kincaid & W. Creech / London: T. Cadell, 1771. *''The Poetical Works. Edinburgh: Mundell, 1793. * The Poems: For the first time collected and edited] (edited by Alexander Balloch Grosart). (4 volumes), Blackburn, UK: privately published (Fuller Worthies Library), printed by C. Tiplady, 1869 Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, Volume IV *''Selected Poetry. Cottingham, UK: J.R. Totin, 1904. *The Spenser of His Age: Being selected poetical works'' (edited by Walter Jerrold). Cottingham, UK: J.R. Totin, 1905. *''Poetical Works'' (with Giles Fletcher the younger; edited by Frederick S. Boas). (2 volumes), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press (Cambridge English Classics), 1908-1909. Volume I, Volume II *''Venus and Anchises (Britain's Ida), and other poems'' (edited by Ethel Seaton & Frederick S. Boas). London: Humphrey Milford, for Oxford University Press, 1926. Play *''Sicelides: A piscatory''. London: I.N. for William Sheares, 1631. Non-fiction *''Joy in Tribulation; or, Consolations for afflicted spirits''. London: J. Beale, for Iames Baker, 1632. The way to blessedness: or a treatise on the first psalme. 1632. Edited Giles Fletcher the elder, De Literis Antiquae Britanniae Fletcher. 1633. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Phineas Fletcher, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, June 21, 2016. See also * List of British poets References *Langdale, Abram Barnett. Phineas Fletcher: Man of Letters, Science, and Divinity. New York, Columbia University Press, 1937. * . Wikisource, Web, Jan. 12, 2018. Notes External links ;Poems * "A Litany" in the Oxford Book of English Verse (1250-1900). * "The Divine Lover" * Selected Poetry of Phineas Fletcher (1582-1650) (1 poem, "The Purple Island") at Representative Poetry Online. * Phineas Fletcher at PoemHunter (7 poems) *Rev. Phineas Fletcher (1582-1650) info & 37 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830 *Phineas Fletcher at Poetry Nook (93 poems) ;Books * ;About *Phineas Fletcher in the Encyclopædia Britannica *"Phineas Fletcher" by Henry Headley *Fletcher, Phineas" in the [[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]] * Fletcher, Phineas in the Dictionary of National Biography Category:1582 births Category:1650 deaths Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Category:English poets Category:Old Etonians Category:People from Cranbrook, Kent Category:17th-century poets Category:16th-century English people Category:17th-century English people Category:People of the Tudor period Category:People of the Stuart period Category:Poets Category:English-language poets Category:English clergy